Have you been baptized?I believe it is very important to be baptized after you have been saved. I’m not saying you won’t go to heaven if you are not baptized, for the thief on the cross was not baptized. But Jesus knew there was no way he could be because he had been nailed to the cross, and he was saved just by believing that Jesus was the son of God. Jesus set an example for us when he was baptized by John the Baptist. God was pleased with him, and he will be plea...

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Barbara Ann Freeman TownsendThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Church briefs (April 10, 2015)Indoor rummage sale at Pottsville Assembly An indoor rummage sale is scheduled for today and Saturday inside the gym at Pottsville Assembly of God. The sale will begin at 8 a.m. on both days. The sale will benefit the Royal Family Kids Camp for foster children. For more information, call (479) 747-0121. Four Square Gospel Church revival Four Square Gospel Church will continue its revival through Sunday with Rev. Norman Culverson and family spe...

Church briefs (April 10, 2015)Indoor rummage sale at Pottsville Assembly An indoor rummage sale is scheduled for today and Saturday inside the gym at Pottsville Assembly of God. The sale will begin at 8 a.m. on both days. The sale will benefit the Royal Family Kids Camp for foster children. For more information, call (479) 747-0121. Four Square Gospel Church revival Four Square Gospel Church will continue its revival through Sunday with Rev. Norman Culverson and family spe...

Smith named pastor at First Baptist Church of DelawareBrother Jeff Smith accepted the call as pastor at First Baptist Church Delaware on Sunday, March 1. Bro. Jeff is the son-in-law of former pastor, Wylie Jones, who passed away in July 2014. Jeff and Melissa Smith have been married for 27 years and have two grown children who are married, Tyler and Ashley Smith of Pasadena, Texas, and Christa and Blane Bartlett of Maumelle. Jeff served as pastor at First Baptist Church of Havana from 2003 until ...

Qualified to rescueWithout fail, newspapers such as this contain job listings. Whether you’ve already taken a glance at the current job openings or haven’t looked at them in months, we all know what they basically look like. A job title or description. Contact information. And many times also a desired qualification or two. Job qualifications matter. That’s why employers put them in their job listings. They need people who have certain skills or qualities. Here’...

Hutchinson: No urgent need for anti-discrimination orderLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday he doesn't see an urgent need to expand workplace anti-discrimination protections for gay and lesbian state employees after lawmakers reworked a religious objections measure to address concerns it was discriminatory. The Republican governor told reporters he floated the idea of such an order as an alternative in case lawmakers didn't agree to his request to revise a bill prohibiting...

Wesley Foundation slates performance with treatThe A.C.T.S. (Actors with Christ through Theatre and Song) group will present “The 9 Worst Breakups of All Time” and “Superheroes” in a dessert theatre performance at the Arkansas Tech University Wesley Foundation the nights of Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Think your breakup was bad? Eve Tonsil, an employee of the nonprofit company Relationships for a Better Tomorrow is here to take you on a tour of the nine worst breakups of all time, from ...

Governor OKs bill allowing Ten Commandments displayLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas' governor has approved legislation that will allow a monument to the Ten Commandments to be constructed near the state Capitol. A spokesman for Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday said the governor had signed the bill requiring the state to allow a privately funded display of the commandments to be built on the state Capitol grounds. Lawmakers sent the measure to Hutchinson last week. Supporters of the proposal have sa...

Church briefs (April 3, 2015)Mt. Vernon FWB Bake Sale The Women Active for Christ from Mt. Vernon Free Will Baptist Church will be having their annual bake sale from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Bill’s Fresh Market in Atkins. The sale will include cakes, pies, fried pies, homemade rolls, cinnamon rolls and much more. Proceeds will go to help missions. St. John’s Lutheran Easter services St. John’s Lutheran Church will celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday with services...

The significance of the Passover feastThis week Jews around the world will celebrate the Passover. In preparation, families remove all the leavens, like yeast, baking soda, baking powder and sodium bicarbonate from their homes, cleaning them from top to bottom to ensure that no crumb is left behind! I suppose that is how the tradition of “spring cleaning” came about. But it is really about much more than cleanliness. It is about the preparation of the heart. As I clean, sort and d...

Echoes of the resurrectionThe resurrection appears as if an event echoed down through the corridors of time. As such, it has been a means of consolation in times of stress, an impetus for zealous activity and a means of bonding persons together in a cherished conviction. As if a reality check, the following consists of quotations from William Sykes’ “The Eternal Vision,” along with brief commentary. “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand...

Senate approves updated religious-objections billLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers have given initial approval to a new version of a religious-objections bill after Gov. Asa Hutchinson asked for changes in the wake of a growing backlash from critics who called the measure anti-gay. The proposal approved by the Senate on a 26-6 vote Wednesday bars state and local government from infringing on someone's religious beliefs without a compelling interest. A day earlier, lawmakers sent a simila...

Easter Sunrise Service to be held on Mount NeboMount Nebo State Park will partner with the Wesley Foundation of Arkansas Tech University to hold a Easter Sunrise Service at 7 a.m. on Sunday at the large pavilion atop the mountain. The service is non-denominational and will include music and a message provided by the students of the Wesley Foundation. Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy the continuance of a long tradition. For more information, call the park at (479) 229-3655.

Governor urges changes to religious objection billLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday called for changes to a religious objection measure facing a backlash from businesses and gay rights groups, saying it wasn't intended to sanction discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Republican governor said he wants changes to the bill that lawmakers sent him prohibiting state and local government from infringing upon someone's religious beliefs without a compelling inte...

Church lets love shine with performanceA performance more than 2,000 years in the making aims to show the love and life of Jesus Christ to the Arkansas River Valley. The 20th annual “He’s Alive: The Passion Play of Jesus” performed by the First Assembly of God will be conducted this week with a goal of spreading the gospel to those in the Russellville area. Acting Director Lorrie Miller said the annual event is a team effort of nearly 200 church members who prepare for up to a mont...

House panel advances Ten Commandments display billLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Efforts to erect a Ten Commandments monument on the Arkansas Capitol grounds cleared a key hurdle Friday when some House members rejected objections that such a display would be unconstitutional. The bill would allow for a privately funded monument to be placed on the grounds, with its design and location to be approved by the secretary of state. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2005 upheld a challenge to a similar Texas monument —...

Church briefs (March 27, 2015)Martin Chapel Assembly of God Egg Hunt The Martin Chapel Assembly of God will host an Easter Egg Hunt from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The event will feature an egg hunt, door prizes, a petting zoo, face painting and a lunch with hot dogs and all of the trimmings. The Easter Bunny will also be on hand for kids to meet and have pictures taken. The church is located at 6635 State Highway 333 North of London. In the event of inclement weather,...

Palm Sunday leads off activities of Holy WeekSunday is Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is the day that behind the week Christians call Holy Week. The week is packed with a variety of events in what is the last week of Jesus’ life. The week is filled with so many different kinds of events, highs and lows alike. It all begins as Jesus enters Jerusalem humbly and riding on a donkey. Those who had paid attention saw before their eyes the words of the prophet Zechariah unfolding. A crowd gathered an...

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Roy Smith / Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church of RussellvilleThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Stand up! Show up!Recently our local Christian ministerial organization discussed the theme for Easter as “Stand Up! Show Up!” in light of the continuing and growing persecution of Christians across the world including the recent verbal and ideological attacks here in America. While everyone is yelling tolerance, tolerance, it is evident that tolerance does not apply to the Christian faith. In this world of changing theological standards, we see major denominat...

Proposed Ten Commandments display advances to Senate voteLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A day after it stalled before a legislative panel, an effort to allow a privately funded monument to the Ten Commandments near the Arkansas Capitol advanced to the state Senate on Tuesday for a vote. The Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee endorsed by a voice vote the proposal to let a private group pay for and build a monument to the commandments on the Capitol grounds. The bill by Republican Sen. Jason...